Tristan Rhodes, Music Director
New York born choral conductor and organist TRISTAN RHODES has been appointed the new Director of Music at The Anglican Church of St. John the Divine, 1611 Quadra Street, Victoria. Steve Carroll of the Santa Rosa Symphony Orchestra [California] said of Maestro Rhodes, “The man’s background reads like a veritable Who’s Who in classical music.” Of his many achievements including a Grammy nomination with the National Boychoir of America, Rhodes prepared choruses for LEONDARD BERNSTEIN on projects with the National Symphony Orchestra.
A veteran musician who has toured the world as a conductor and pianist, Rhodes was discovered at age 14 by Howard Barlow, conductor of radio and TV’s Firestone Symphony Orchestra. Rhodes entered the Peabody Conservatory of Music of Johns Hopkins University as a double major in piano [Walter Hautzig] and conducting [Leo Mueller – Halifax Symphony and Metropolitan Opera]. He studied with Herbert van Karajan [Berlin Philharmonic] at the Internationale Akademie des Mozarteums, Salzburg, Austria where he earned his artist diploma in conducting. He was recruited to the Westminster Choir College, Princeton where he was awarded a BM degree in piano [Rita Bouboulidi] and composition [Malcolm Williamson – Master of the Queens Music]. An ardent chamber music player, he was one of the founding members of the Northampton Trio.
Always mixing education with the performing arts Rhodes was artist-in-residence and faculty member at the American Boychoir School before taking the post of conductor of Washington, DC’s “Offertorium Musicum Choir.” He created the opera workshop at St. Mary’s College of Maryland while serving as assistant to the college president and ad hoc member of the piano faculty.
He rose to fame as a conductor, pianist and composer during his many years as the director of National Boychoir of America, Washington, DC. While with the boychoir school he brought the ensemble to international acclaim which included a number of tours to Canada from Nova Scotia to Ontario. After hundreds of concerts, six albums, a host of original instrumental, opera and service setting compositions and choral arrangements he retired from the National Boychoir School to become conductor and artistic director of New England Vocal Ensemble in Boston which he conducted until retiring from the concert stage.
Since then he has been the director of music at two prominent colonial Episcopal parishes in the US and has kept a busy schedule as teacher, guest conductor and clinician at American music festivals. An architect of a number of music curricula, his “Stars In Stripes” program partnered by the Santa Rosa Symphony Orchestra, Sonoma State University and the California State Prison – Solano has become a model for many prison rehabilitation projects.
A high energy individual, Tristan Rhodes brings to St. John the Divine the combined skills of a savvy arts administrator, recruiter, impresario and a world class choral conductor and solo artist. Since his retiring to Victoria he has given organ recitals at Fairfield United Church and St. Paul’s, Esquimalt.
For many years St. John the Divine had the reputation of being the centre of liturgical music on Vancouver Island. Rhodes is breathing new life, vitality and continuity into the church’s music department. To this end he has just announced auditions for St. John the Divine Choral Scholars and Organ Scholar. Anyone in formal music study is welcome to apply for these paid positions. For information or to schedule an audition please call 383-7169.
Email:
